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I'm not so sure about cats, but having had a dog for 18 years before, I know they can feel love, sorrow, grief, and happiness. Maybe not on the complex level that we do, but on some level. When you have a dog, it's amazing how in-tune they become to you. Mine would carry on when someone was leaving the house, and would come to the same area and wait for me when it was time for me to come home, and would always want to be where the people were in the house. They actually become part of the family, like babies that don't grow up in a way.

I've thought about the carefree life they must have, being taken care of and being able to just lounge around without worry or need to look into the future. Maybe it just harks to a desire for a simpler life...even being a recluse, life seems to be so damn complex, and the complexity seems to get worse over time. There's always things to be attended to, worries in the back of your mind, consideration of things that may or may not happen in the future and how to deal with them. And yet on the other hand, where do we choose to relax and have fun? A political simulator full of drama and conflict and complexity. In some perverse way we must enjoy it.

I'm reminded of The Animal Song by Savage Garden now.

Savage garden - The animal song

A few days ago, I found myself wishing I were like a cat. They're so carefree, and so happy as they lie on blankets and in rays of sunlight all day. Wouldn't that be such a nice, easy life? But then I watched the latest episode of The Mentalist, and it struck me to the core. It left me shaking at the end, so stricken by the characters, and the deep, woven story line that I was left desperate for another episode. It was, quite frankly, art. And beautiful art at that. Last year I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It affected me in a much greater and profound way, the way the book was effortlessly crafted to wrap itself around your heart and clench it. It provided moments of choking sorrows and exhilarating bliss, while your eyes stayed glued to the page and tears ran down your face because damn it, every page read is one less you still have to read. The characters, Liesel and Hans and Rudy with the hair the colour of lemons tug at you and pull you in and engross you, leading you along in their tale of wonder and heartbreak. Your emotions were made to float at the author's whim, the raw hope and innocence exuding from the pages and grabbing at you and warming your heart like a child's first smile. Then it ended, sinking a knife into my heart and leaving me sobbing, crying over characters that don't exist because damn it it's art and it's beautiful. It explored human nature and emotions and the lengths we will go to to protect and serve morals that we fabricated for ourselves trying to make sense of this endless conundrum we call life with deep, striking prose and a memorability to last for years to come. But a cat can't read. A cat cannot watch late-night television dramas about tortured geniuses avenging their murdered wives and daughters nor read a tale about a young, starry-eyed girl stealing books from the most hateful regime mankind ever experienced. It cannot comprehend these emotions, love and sorrow and grief and happiness. It can not feel such profound emotion nor appreciate the beauty sitting in front of it. So, then, is it worth it, the laziness and carefree world of a housecat? Is it worth not having to get up every morning and work for what's probably less pay than you deserve to rob yourself of that ability to appreciate such profound beauty?

Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's really feelsy; I think you'd enjoy it.

As for the purpose of that paragraph, I completely agree. While it may be nice to have a simple, content existence, I think the joy of being human and being able to appreciate the concepts other humans create and test is beyond worth the pain we are also able to experience.

Been giving Star Trek Online another try...I tried it a few years back, but it seemed rather repetitive to me an I didn't get very far. I'm not sure if they've added more content or if I'm just doing better this time around, because it's actually quite addicting. I grew up watching Star Trek, and it's interesting to interact with things that I watched back then...that, and blowing up ships. xD

Also been playing Path of Exile again...an action RPG that in my opinion holds most true to being like Diablo II out of any of them out there. Besides that, it's free and still being updated...can't get much better than that.

I am going to play my first game of Das Schwarze Auge ("The Black Eye", basically Dungeons and Dragons in German). Did anybody here play it some time? I could need some advice, because I will also be the game master...

As this is a place to say whats on my mind i wish i can do more in this region as you guys are the best region i have been in and thats the truth i would like to contribute more but if i get elected to a government post i wouldnt know what to do and i dont want to screw up what you guys have going here as a member of this region i feel like i need to take part in the discussions i need to help in whatever way i can but i dont want to screw things up. i know its just a game but i think if you join something you should contribute in any way you can and i havent done that. I am a shy person very shy in fact maybe thats why i havent contributed at all so im going to make it a goal for myself to get involved more meet the rest of the members and really become a true member of this region. sorry if this is long and you probably dont want to read it which is fine but i just needed to get that off my chest Thank you.

The U.S. Government disappoints me. I'm reading a book entitled "A Nation of Wusses: How America's Leaders lost the Guts to make us Great", and it bring out many valid points. Most notably, it discusses the fact that politicians aren't really in it to perform their civic duty, but are instead in it for the money and publicity. Honestly, this disgusts me. What disgusts me even more is that Congressmen (and women) feel the need to dictate how our military operates, when 80% of Congressmen and Women haven't even served in the military.
That's also the problem with the Presidency. When you're elected to the Presidency, the entire military might of the United States of America is at your fingertips. Considering that very few modern Presidents have served in the military, is it time for that to change? Most modern day Presidents are career politicians, who know nothing about the military or how it operates. Honestly, I'm up for reinstating the draft just to fix that.
Before we go blaming the President for every goddamn thing that's wrong with our country, maybe we should step back and look at Congress, and the politicians who are playing partisan politics.
When I was discussing this with one of my friends (who would make a great congressman), both of us decided that should we ever run for public office, it will be as Independents.

There, Rant/Run-on Sentence/What's on my mind Complete. 

I partially agree with your post, Denth.

I share your disappointment about Congress...it seems that as time goes politicians thing of governing the country as a game, where the ultimate goal is to win elections more than governing. Compromise is all but dead because politicians are afraid they'll be voted out of office for it, and politicians are unwilling to tackle the problems that are facing the country because the solutions are unpopular. So you have an ad-hoc government that runs by the seat of your pants, and we have drama after political drama, especially on the budget, so that the can can be kicked a few months down the road. I've personally always been a Democrat, but as time has gone by I've come to believe both parties are to blame for having the same mentality, and would welcome additional mainstream parties.

As for the military...I just want to point out that there's a reason it was put in the hands of a civilian, namely to keep the military from gaining too much political power on their own and overthrowing the government in a coup a la 1940s Argentina. I actually think it's well that people that don't have military experience can lead it...Presidents, just like NS regional leaders, come from a variety of backgrounds and have their own unique skill-sets and experiences. Some are military men, some serve in other areas of government, and unfortunately yes, some are career politicians. I'd be fully against reinstating the draft...I understand you personally want to serve in the military, and that's all well and good, but nobody should be forced to against their will. I think a better solution to the problem would be to institute term limits in Congress and to introduce additional mainstream parties to bust the monopoly the Democrats and Republicans have on government.

Sorry, just had to respond.

Your idea works too :p

I should also point out that just because I think it's a good idea in the real-life US, doesn't mean I feel like it'd be a good idea in any NS region. Ahem.

What's your STO @name Wintermoot, mine is @serov141

Mine is Wintermoot

On my mind...I find it interesting. Traditionally, through all the years I was involved online, I noticed that activity picked up when people were off of school and work...namely during the summer and the holidays. On NationStates though, it's the opposite and activity actually goes down during those times...we had a big summer lull, and I've definitely noticed it this week as well.

So far it seems like the most active months in NationStates may be April, May, and October.

Well, Winter, I know that I play more at school than I did over the summer...

Sooo, I'm running for office for the first time, this is going to be interesting. I haven't done this before so it'll be nice to see how many votes i get. I don't expect to win.

Sooo, I'm running for office for the first time, this is going to be interesting. I haven't done this before so it'll be nice to see how many votes i get. I don't expect to win.

Good Luck

Sooo, I'm running for office for the first time, this is going to be interesting. I haven't done this before so it'll be nice to see how many votes i get. I don't expect to win.

That's no way to think D:.